Tales of the Hot Take, Episode 2: Tomb of the Onisca

The dead do not need their treasure. You, on the other hand, have bills.

The Hot Take is an elderly, second-hand trading vessel with an eccentric computer, cramped corridors, dubious modifications and a rental agreement written by someone who plainly expects the crew to die before the first payment dispute.

Unfortunately, it is also home.

Keeping a ship flying takes fuel, spare parts, ammunition and a surprising amount of money. When the crew learns of an ancient tomb waiting to be explored, the arithmetic appears reassuringly simple:

1. Enter the tomb.

2. Steal anything valuable.

3. Leave.

4. Become wealthy.

There is, inevitably, a slight complication.

Welcome to the Tomb of the Onisca

Who—or what—was the Onisca?

Why was its tomb hidden?

What was buried with it?

Why has nobody already looted the place?

And what sort of idiot looks at an ancient alien sepulchre, surrounded by mystery and ominous warnings, and immediately begins calculating the resale value of the door?

The crew of the Hot Take, obviously.

Tomb of the Onisca is the second episode in the Tales of the Hot Take series: a continuing collection of old-school science-fantasy adventures for Machinations of the Space Princess.

This episode throws the crew into an alien tomb filled with secrets, danger and the lingering evidence of a civilisation whose funeral arrangements were considerably more ambitious than a tasteful urn on the mantelpiece.

The tomb may contain wealth.

It may contain forbidden knowledge.

It may contain ancient technology capable of changing the balance of power across entire star systems.

It may merely contain several inventive new ways to die.

There is only one reliable method of finding out.

Old-School Space Adventure

Tales of the Hot Take takes the classic fantasy expedition—strange ruins, terrible monsters, suspicious treasure and player characters with no instinct for self-preservation—and launches it into deep space.

Expect:

• Alien ruins built according to inhuman priorities.

• Exploration, investigation and extremely inadvisable curiosity.

• Treasures whose value may be exceeded only by their danger.

• Opportunities for greed, cunning, violence and magnificent cowardice.

• Problems with more than one possible solution.

• Consequences that can follow the crew back to their ship.

• Material designed to create actual play rather than merely decorate a shelf.

The characters are not legendary heroes appointed by destiny.

They are the crew of a rented spaceship trying to keep the engines running.

Destiny does not accept late payments.

Continue the Voyage

This is Episode 2 of Tales of the Hot Take, following Episode 1: Shakedown Cruise.

Continue the adventures of the existing crew, introduce characters of your own or rob the episode for locations, encounters and ideas to use elsewhere in your campaign. The universe is vast, intellectual property is imaginary and Games Masters have been stealing from one another since somebody first drew a dungeon on the back of a beermat.

You will require Machinations of the Space Princess to make full use of the game statistics and rules material.

The tomb is waiting.

The dead are silent.

The ship payment is due.

Climb aboard the Hot Take and discover what the Onisca took to the grave.

This product is supplied as a digital PDF. No physical product is included.